With funding from Justice Canada, PLEIS-NB partnered with the NB Executive Council Office, Women’s Issues Branch to develop a family violence and the law training project. It includes eight modules that range from definitions, to family law, criminal law, diversity and developing a community action plan to improve responses to family violence in rural areas.

Our ‘advisory committee’ included representation from Court Services and Public Prosecutions, NB Department of Justice; Policing Services, Strategy, Policy and Planning Branch, and Victim Services Program of the NB Department of Public Safety; the Department of Family and Community Services; the NB Coalition of Transition Houses; and various community agencies from the participating pilot communities. They provided advice and expertise. The result was a comprehensive workshop to train local service providers to share the information in their own sectors via lunch and learn sessions, workshops or special events.

New materials produced under this project include: Family violence and the Law: Train-the-Trainer, Facilitator’s Manual; a Family Violence and the Law: Participant Manual; and new booklet called Ending Abuse in your Relationship-A Woman’s Roadmap to Empowerment. We also created A Service provider’s Roadmap to Empowering Women-Helping Abused Women Help Themselves, which explains New Brunswick’s new Woman Abuse Protocols. This initiative targetted small town and rural service providers. The participants from the pilot sessions in St. Stephen, Miramichi and Sussex had high praise for the benefits and value of the workshop. We will continue to offer sessions in the next fiscal year, pilot the French workshop and evaluate the project outcomes.

A promotional pamphlet has been developed and training sessions can be booked.